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Mark Andrews is still the focal point of the passing game for the Baltimore Ravens and one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Andrews grew into both roles at the expense of a former first-round draft pick.
Things haven’t gone so smoothly for this first-rounder the Ravens traded following the 2019 season. Since then, he’s played on two different teams and is preparing to face the Ravens as a member of an AFC North rival who beat Baltimore twice in 2021 by an aggregate scoreline of 82-38.
25th-Overall Pick Still Close with Ravens’ All-Pro
Hayden Hurst caught his first touchdown for the Cincinnati Bengals against the Miami Dolphins in Week 4. It was also the first truly notable moment for Hurst since signing a one-year contract with the Bengals in the offseason.
Hurst’s star seemed on the ascent when he was drafted 25th overall by the Ravens in 2018, but he only caught 13 passes as a rookie. His production increased modestly a year later, but Hurst was still an underused part of the Ravens’ offense and soon lobbied to be traded to the Atlanta Falcons.
Although things didn’t work out for Hurst with the Ravens, he has “no hard feelings toward Baltimore. It was a great two years. Obviously, I wish things would have been different. That’s just the way this business goes, so I move on. I’m in a great place here,” per Jay Morrison of The Athletic. In fact, Hurst is looking forward to reuniting with some of his former teammates when the Bengals arrive at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 5.
Specifically, Hurst wants to see the players the Ravens kept ahead of him on the depth chart: “It’ll be really cool seeing the guys, seeing some of the coaches, obviously seeing Nick (Boyle) and Mark (Andrews), seeing some of the restaurant owners that we used to go to. It’ll be a good time.”
There’s a certain irony here because Andrews’ rapid rise to stardom made Hurst expendable in Baltimore. A third-round pick the same year Hurst came off the board, Andrews quickly emerged as Lamar Jackson’s go-to target, catching 98 passes and 13 touchdowns his first two years.
Andrews was the prolific receiver among the Ravens’ tight ends, while Nick Boyle acted as the blocking specialist. Hurst remembers both fondly: “Those guys are my close buddies. That stuff kind of supersedes some of the football stuff. I know Mark gets a little superstitious so he might not respond as freely as he normally does. Nick, not so much. He’s a goofball, man. He’s a big kid. I’ll have to call him later and kind of mess with him a little bit.”
Andrews Still Dominant
While his friendships were forged under trying circumstances, Hurst is still complimentary about Andrews and Boyle. He described the latter as “a monster. When I was there in Baltimore, I got to see it firsthand. He was the best blocking tight end in the NFL. The way that he moved guys was almost like having an extended tackle that can run a 4.6.”
Major knee surgery has kept Boyle on the shelf at the start of this season, but Andrews has remained a force. Hurst knows why No. 89 has been so successful: “(Andrews) is so technical with his route running. When I was in Baltimore, obviously I picked his brain. I’d be dumb not to. He’s very good with his hands. He’s very quick for his size.”
Andrews is still growing in importance in this offense after a 107-reception season in 2021. He’s got 24 catches for 260 yards and three scores already. Two of those touchdowns came against the New England Patriots in Week 3, including this highlight-reel grab over Devin McCourty:
It’s the kind of workload Hurst has been craving and is hoping to earn with the Bengals, per Morrison: “They’re calling my number more and more. That’s all I’ve ever wanted, man.”
Hurst may not get his wish for more targets against the Ravens. Not when the Bengals boast a trio of wide receivers as dynamic as Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Nor when the Ravens own a pass defense that’s given up 1,261 yards, the most in the league.
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey pulled no punches when talking about the struggles the Ravens’ secondary has endured, per Morrison’s colleague Jeff Zrebiec:
Humphrey is right to be blunt because the Ravens will face arguably the toughest challenge yet from a Bengals offense that scored 41 points in both games last season. If the defense fails to keep Joe Burrow and his receivers quiet again, Jackson will be forced into another shootout where he’ll have to rely on Andrews more than usual.
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